Maria Sharapova banned for two years for doping

LONDON

Maria Sharapova was on Wednesday banned for two years after failing a drugs test but insisted she will appeal a decision which could effectively end her career.

Russian star Sharapova, 29, tested positive for the controversial banned medication meldonium during January's Australian Open.

A statement on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) website said "an Independent Tribunal" had "found that Maria Sharapova committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation" and consequently had "disqualified the affected results and imposed a period of ineligibility of two years, commencing on 26 January 2016".

Sharapova blasted the ban as "unfairly harsh" in a statement on her Facebook fan page.

"While the tribunal concluded correctly that I did not intentionally violate the anti-doping rules, I cannot accept an unfairly harsh two-year suspension," fumed Sharapova.

"The tribunal, whose members were selected by the ITF, agreed that I did not do anything intentionally wrong, yet they seek to keep me from playing tennis for two years. I will immediately appeal the suspension portion of this ruling to CAS, the Court of Arbitration for Sport."

Sharapova slammed the ITF for spending "tremendous amounts of time and resources trying to prove I intentionally violated the anti-doping rules" before adding that "the tribunal concluded I did not".

The US-based Russian failed a test on January 26 and was charged with an anti-doping violation on March 2.

In a press conference a few days later, she admitted to taking meldonium but said she hadn't realised it was on the banned substance list.

Meldonium was added to the WADA list on Janury 1. Sharapova said she'd been taking it for 10 years.

Her ban is backdated to January 26 and due to end on January 25, 2018.

She has had her results from the Australian Open annulled and has forfeited her tournament prize money and ranking points.

(READ: Maria Sharapova announces she failed doping test)

DOPING TIMELINE

Timeline on Maria Sharapova doping case after the Russian star was banned for two years on Wednesday:

2016

Jan 26 - Sharapova loses to old rival Serena Williams in the Australian Open quarter-finals.

March 7 - Sharapova calls press conference at a Los Angeles hotel where she reveals that after her loss in Melbourne she tested positive for meldonium, a substance placed on the Wada banned list at the start of the year.

March 8 - Nike, Tag Heuer and Porsche halt their lucrative relationships with Sharapova.

March 8 - Sharapova's old rival Williams praises the Russian's "courage" in fronting up to developments.

March 9 - World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) president Dick Pound describes Sharapova's actions as "reckless beyond description".

March 10 - Sharapova's racquet manufacturer Head says it will stand by the Russian.

March 12 - Sharapova insists that contrary to media reports, she had not received five separate warnings about changes to anti-doping rules. "I should have paid more attention to it. But the other 'communications'? They were buried in newsletters, websites, or handouts," the Russian star said. "I guess some in the media can call that a warning. I think most people would call it too hard to find."

March 15 - United Nations suspends Sharapova as a goodwill ambassador.

March 24 - World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) says 123 cases involving meldonium recorded since the endurance-boosting drug was banned on January 1.

April 13 - Wada says athletes could escape a ban for taking meldonium because it does not know for sure how long it takes the substance to leave the body.

April 14 - Russian President Vladimir Putin declared athletes' use of the performance-boosting drug does not constitute doping.

May 26 - Named on Russian Olympic tennis team

June 7 - Sharapova earned $21.9 million (19.2 million euros) over the past 12 months, down almost $8 million from the previous year, according to Forbes Magazine.

June 8 - Banned for two years by ITF, Sharapova announces she will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.